The Oxymoron
by KazunaPikachu
Summary: Shadow liking Amy. Amy liking Shadow. In three words, a sentence is made an oxymoron: where two terms are apparently contradictory, yet somehow, make perfect sense. Shadamy.
1. First

The Oxymoron

-x-

_Summary: Shadow liking Amy. Amy liking Shadow. In three words, a sentence is made an oxymoron: where two terms are apparently contradictory, yet somehow, make perfect sense. Shadamy._

-x-

"I won't forgive you."

Shadow resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Slowly, as if purposely enunciating his words, he said, "Relax. You're being melodramatic."

"I HATE YOU!"

"I'll let you know when I start caring."

Amy Rose could only stare at him with bright, tearful eyes. "This was my big night – _our_ big night! I was finally going to make him fall in love with me! I had a plan and everything! But it's all _ruined_ now, thanks to you!"

"Trust me – this wasn't my idea." Shadow's gaze was impassive, almost bored. "Don't think I did this of my own choosing."

"Urg!" She was on the verge of wailing. "Of all nights, why this one?" She arched her neck up and screamed at the ceiling, "SONIC! I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS, I SWEAR!"

Contrary to her current state of mind, Amy Rose had started the day excited, peppy, hopeful and outrageously happy. After all, come sundown, the hedgehog of her dreams was going to ring her doorbell and sweep her off her feet. Well, perhaps not that exactly; more like _she_ was going to try to sweep _him_ off his feet – everyone knew how hard she tried. And she had a feeling that tonight, she was finally going to get what she wanted. When Sonic had finally agreed to go out with her – on the condition that she didn't immediately flatten him with her dangerously posed hammer – Amy was almost on cloud nine; she felt that something special was going to happen that night, something that would change their lives forever.

But of course, the people upstairs loved to play with their favourite toy – Amy Rose. Don't make this too easy for her, they probably thought. She's been chasing Sonic for years – let's have her do it for a little bit longer. Let's set up the pieces on the game board and make sure that Sonic can't make it to this date (one that she tried so hard to get). Let's throw in a couple of baddies, a couple of endangered lives in another city, and keep the blue hedgehog too preoccupied to go out with her – _again_. It never gets old, right?

Right.

Friggin' hilarious.

But why was Shadow here, you ask? Well, apparently, Sonic had been considerate enough to call up Shadow and have him do him a _huge_ favour – to tell Amy that he couldn't make it and to replace him on the date. He knew how much the date meant to Amy – heck, she probably had a whole plan set up _guaranteeing_ that he'd end up in love with her at the end of the night – and Sonic felt bad to let all her efforts go to waste.

So he'd asked Shadow to take his place. Two less lonely people in the world, right?

(And sure, Sonic could have called up Amy himself to tell her that he couldn't make it, but really – did he _want_ to become seriously hearing impaired by the end of the phone call? Better Shadow, not him.)

And although it was a most uncharacteristic thing to do, Shadow agreed to follow along with the Faker's request. Although they generally didn't get along, he still owed the blue rodent quite a bit. And being here, at the front door of the Rose girl's house, well – it really wasn't like he had anything better to do. His days blended in together, nowadays; nothing but a repetitive blur of lazy cycles, which in no little way caused Shadow to so willingly agree.

He was beginning to have second thoughts now, though. The boring, repetitive cycle of mundane life was beginning to look quite appealing as he stared at the crazy girl shouting at the ceiling.

"Rose," he said calmly, still regarding her with an apathetic stare. "Calm. Down."

As she tried to do as he told, he took note of what she was wearing: she was dressed quite simply, for her supposed date with Sonic. It wasn't an outrageous outfit – it was cute, short and curvy. She looked stylish without looking overdressed. Shadow offhandedly wondered what flavour lip gloss she was wearing this time – oh, and he approved the light colour of her eye-shadow which highlighted the brightness of her green eyes. She looked homely, neat and lovely.

So different from his devil-may-care appearance, with baggy pants and a thrown-on V-neck shirt which looked rather depressing with its faded blue colour. Yeah, usually, he didn't wear any clothes – but Sonic insisted that he should, because turning up on a date with _Amy _completely _naked_ (minus the shoes and gloves) would not end well. He probably spoke from experience.

Finally, after a significant amount of time, Amy Rose had finally calmed down. She gave a weary sigh and offered Shadow an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that, Shadow. I shouldn't have shouted at you and said those things – I was just… upset."

"Yeah. About that. Why did you blame _me_ for the Faker's absence tonight?" he intoned indifferently.

Amy had the decency to blush. "Well, that… umm… like I said, I was upset. I'm really sorry; I didn't mean a word of it. It's just… well… you came bearing the bad news, right? So I just assumed that maybe you were the cause of it…" She groaned. "See, I'm not making any sense, am I? I'm sorry, Shadow. After all, you had the politeness to come tell me, when a certain _someone_ couldn't be bothered, with all his speed."

Shadow nodded. He understood her explanation quite well: she was a crazy little hedgehog who, when upset, would go off on an angry tangent and attack whoever was closest to her. She was a creature of emotion, she was.

"Well, anyway," she continued, trying to fight off an impending awkwardness. "So not only did Sonic tell you to tell me that he couldn't make it, but he also said to… what was it you said… 'replace' him?" She seemed sincerely confused by this.

Shadow nodded again. "That's right. He asked me to accompany you tonight in his place."

"Right. And you agreed to this because…?"

"Nothing better to do." His answer was blunt, truthful. He was also getting quite tired of her little interrogation as well. "So are we going or what?"

But Amy still couldn't get her head wrapped around going on a date with _Shadow_. "You know, you really don't have to do this if you don't want to. I mean, if you feel like you're being forced…"

His red, ruby eyes stared right into her as he asked slowly, "Do you want me to leave?"

Amy couldn't answer that straight away. On one hand, going on a date with Shadow didn't hold much promise. On the other, she'd already organized their travel plans and bought _those things_, _so_… She beamed at him, giving him a half-sincere smile. "Of course not. It'll be a pleasure spending the night with you, Shadow!"

"Hmph."

A hedgehog of little words. Completely different from the hedgehog who let her mouth relay whatever she thought and felt.

The pink furry grinned. "Alrighty then. Let's go!"

-x-

"Since I was expecting to be out with Sonic, I chose this place specifically. I know that it isn't a big, fancy restaurant, but Sonic hates those kinds of places – he says that the music was too slow and the people too quiet." Amy glanced towards him with a faint smile. "But he would have loved this. I'm sure of it."

Shadow couldn't help but agree.

It was in a small, quaint club house, with an upbeat jazz band playing on a raised platform. There were people around the stage, hollering and singing aloud in tune to the music. Beers were raised into the air as they bobbed to the beat and their laughter blended like water into the comforting, easy atmosphere of the venue. The walls were made of Rowan wood and the fireplace at a corner blazed warmly, its light giving everything it touched a slightly golden hue.

Shadow didn't know much about what the blue hedgehog liked, but he was able to trust Amy's judgement on this one. This easy-going attitude and carefree atmosphere fitted the Faker's personality almost too perfectly.

Amy and Shadow sat at a table for two, going through the food choices. While they were shifting through the menu, Amy quietly laughed a little bitterly. The darker hedgehog glanced up at her. "What?"

"Do you know how hard it was to find a decent club or restaurant that served _chilidogs_?" Amy asked rhetorically, a slight glare in her eyes. But it wasn't directed at Shadow; no, it was aimed at a certain blue someone who wasn't there. "I mean, okay, they're not _all_ what Sonic eats, but come on! It took me forever to find a place that had _chilidogs_ on their menu without being a street stand! He would have _loved_ this!" _He would have loved __**me**__ for it!_

Shadow stared at her unblinkingly. "You can always show him next time."

The younger hedgehog opened her mouth as if to say something but she wisely shut it straight afterwards. She gave an unconvincing shrug and went back to shifting through the menu. Shadow did the same – if she didn't want to talk about it then it was fine by him. He didn't consider themselves close enough to be sharing each other's problems anyway.

Once their orders were taken by a waiter, Amy, predictably, tried to start the small talk. "So, Shadow, what have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Really? You must have been doing _something_!" A playful twinkle appeared in her emerald eyes. "You know, besides breathing, drinking, eating and sleeping."

Shadow wasn't willing to humour her. "No, actually, that's really it."

Amy frowned a little. "You lead a very exciting life, Shadow the Hedgehog."

"Hmph."

They succumbed into the inevitable empty silence. Amy was wailing in the inside, wishing with all her heart that it was Sonic who sat in front of her instead, while Shadow was simply bored out of his mind. But it was nice to get some fresh air, he admitted to himself. And the jazz music was quite relaxing. It beat the despairing silence of his own home.

"Can I ask you something, Shadow?"

Her voice cut through Shadow's peaceful (was that too strong of a word? Shadow the Hedgehog was _never _at peace) contemplations of the music. He glanced towards her. "Go ahead."

Amy fiddled with her thumbs for a brief moment before looking up to stare at him directly in the eyes. "Why did you decide to come?" she finally asked. "I mean, last time I heard, you and Sonic weren't the best of chums. So why did he call _you_ of all people? And why did you agree? I mean, I mean no offence, but you seem like the _anti-social_ type; and we don't know each other very well at all. So yeah, I'm a little confused." Then she grinned and winked at him. "But if you say it's all due to my natural charm bewitching you, then I'll totally understand!"

Shadow felt his lips twitch slightly in amusement – but no, he forced the slight twitch to halt. He couldn't smile. It would give the impression that he actually found her funny. "Truthfully, I don't know why the Faker asked me either. You'll have to ask him, not me. And I may be _anti-social_, as you put it, but every once in a while I need friendly company. It doesn't do one any good to be in complete solitary." _I've been there, I've done that. I don't like it._

"Hmm…" Amy pondered, staring up at the ceiling rather dreamily. "Sonic must have realized that you were lonely then!" she said cheerfully, sighing. "He's so kind!"

Shadow rose an eyebrow. "You were mad at him a minute ago."

Her dreamy state immediately disappeared and she growled, "Oh yeah." But then a thoughtful expression crossed her face and she smiled softly. "But I can't stay mad at him, no matter what he does. I mean, he's saving people! He's saving lives!" She leaned forward and whispered to Shadow rather sneakily, "And between you and me, even though I shout and complain a lot, I'm really happy he does it." Her smile was so warm that it threatened to touch Shadow's heart. "If he didn't, he just wouldn't be Sonic, would he?"

Their orders came and they ate their little meal in silence, not that Amy minded. Sonic never usually made small talk while there was food to be eaten, so Amy kind of took on board the habit. Shadow didn't really mind the silence either, although he thought about something while they sat there. When Amy wasn't looking, he'd glance at her and he scrutinized with a discreet frown.

When they finished, Amy dragged him out of the club house, surprisingly more enthusiastic about this 'date' than she first was when it started.

And Shadow was surprised for another reason too. "I don't understand. People were dancing in there, not only eating and listening to the music. I would've thought that you wanted to…?"

Amy blinked, glanced at him and smiled. "Silly. I wasn't planning of ever dancing. Sonic wouldn't have wanted to and I wouldn't have forced him. It was just a nice place, that's all, with good music."

Shadow frowned again – _don't compare me to Sonic; just because __**he **__wouldn't have danced, __**I **__wouldn't have wanted to either? - _but let himself be dragged to who knew where. As they were walking through the town, she began to talk again, like she was on a radio station and silence was something to be avoided.

"The place I wanted to go to next was the night-time amusement park with the rides. But then I thought about Sonic – I mean, he's the fastest thing alive, so he wouldn't be excited by a rollercoaster ride. And who cared about the height, too? He's fallen from space! I'm sure a hundred metres above ground won't faze him anymore. There's nothing else in an amusement park besides those thrill rides – just little baby ones and game stalls. And Sonic wouldn't have liked doing those things either; it would've been _too boring_. And a movie was out of the question. There're only chick flicks left in the cinemas and Sonic would _never_ have the patience to go through one of those. So…" She beamed at Shadow, "I had the biggest epiphany! Since none of the usual date spots would've worked, I thought of _this_!"

Shadow looked up at the building they were now standing in front of.

Laser Force.

He stared.

"Not exactly the most romantic of places."

"Yeah, well, you have to keep Sonic's interest somehow," Amy said with a shrug. "What better to do so than with a little friendly competitive game?"

Shadow glanced at her. "What were your stakes?"

"… Stakes?"

"You said 'friendly competitive game.' If it's competitive, then there must be a prize for the winner. What were the stakes?"

Amy grinned. "I'm glad you asked! This was fool-proof as well! I was going to propose this: if I won, I'd leave him alone for a week. If _he_ won, he'd have to take me out on another date."

Shadow looked at her directly with an almost baffled expression. "I don't understand. I thought he was against going out with you in the first place, so then why would he bother to win…?"

Amy placed a hand on her hips and smiled brightly. "There was _no way_ that he'd let himself lose! He's the reigning champion of Laser Force among our group of friends! He would be too _proud_ to let go of that title and give it to _me_."

But Shadow was still so dearly confused and not understanding. "But then why would the Faker _agree_ to those conditions in the first place?"

"'Cause turning down a Laser Force challenge would hurt his reputation all the same," Amy answered triumphantly. She crossed her arms, smug with herself.

Shadow was staring at her again, contemplative and calculating. She... put so much thought into something so trivial, like another date with the blue Faker. Shadow looked at her unblinkingly: _he didn't have anything to put so much effort into – nothing at all. _Then finally, after she began to shift from foot to foot in awkwardness, he said, "Let's play."

"Laser Force?"

"Yeah," Shadow said dryly. "It would be… _fun_."

Amy was still staring at him with surprise but she smiled nonetheless. Her eyes were suspicious, naturally, but Shadow also caught the brief flash of reluctance. It disappeared quickly though, like dust in the wind. "Alright then!" she said cheerfully. "I'll have to warn you though, Shadow, I'm quite good."

Shadow crossed his arms. "Hmph."

-x-

"ARG! I can't believe it! I can't believe I forgot that you've handled REAL GUNS!"

Shadow allowed himself a lazy smirk – trying not to smile in the pink hedgehog's presence was beginning to be quite tiresome. "You lost, hedgehog, fair and square."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she muttered gruffly, kicking the ground softly with her boot. She glowered at the pavement with a slight pout – _Shadow resisted the urge to think that she looked __**cute**__._

"So where to now?" Shadow asked as they walked out of the building. It was cold outside and it was getting quite late. "Was that the end of your planned date?"

"Of course not!" Amy immediately rebuked. "Don't think so little of me! There's one more place! After all, three's the charm, right?" She began walking again and Shadow was obliged to follow. "Can't you follow my plan, Shadow? I thought you were smarter than that!" She began ticking off a list with her fingers. "First was to get Sonic happy and relaxed with the whole chilidog-jazz-club house. Next was to go to Laser Force in order to keep his interest and burn off a bit of energy, while scoring another date with him. How must Sonic be feeling right now? He might be feeling a little down, because he has to go out with me again, so I have to take him somewhere _really _special, so he'll _want_ to come next time."

She stopped in the middle of the walkway, hands by her sides. Because Shadow was behind her, he couldn't see the torn up expression she was now wearing. Instead, he stared at her unmoving back, and frowned – _he was concerned._ "Rose?"

Then she turned her head towards him and smiled cheekily. "Catch me if you can, _Shadow_!"

And she dashed off, up the hill.

Shadow didn't get it but he chased her anyway. He could've caught her within a heartbeat but some instinct inside him told him that it wasn't the right thing to do right now. She said 'catch me' but she hadn't meant it. She had meant 'follow me.'

_Follow me, Shadow_.

So he did.

He followed her down two blocks until they reached the side of a river. She stopped and was kneeling in front of a bush, looking for something. "Rose?" Shadow questioned, walking towards her. "Have you lost something?"

She pulled back and a bunch of somethings were in her hands. She smiled at him brightly. "Nope! Just getting my fireworks!"

And she placed them on the ground again, facing towards the river, and lit up the ropes with a match. She stood back, to where Shadow was standing, and they waited.

The first firework was blue, streaming across the river like a spinning Sonic himself. The next firework was pink, then green, then red; before Shadow knew it, all the fireworks were shooting into the sky, across the river, and exploding with bursts of pink, blue, green and red in a wonderful symphony of colours and fire. They reflected off the water's surface like it was a misted mirror. The lights of the buildings on the other side of the river added to the ferocity and beauty of the loud, energetic explosions of pure colour. _Bang, boom, pop! Blue, pink, green! The colour of Sonic! The colour of Amy! The mutual colour of their emerald eyes! Bang, boom, pop!_

A beautiful blend of colours – _meant to mix._

_So why didn't __**they**__?_

When Shadow finally tore his eyes away from the unexpected beauty, he noticed Amy sobbing into her hands, crouching down to the ground as if something weighed on her shoulders.

He could only softly whisper, "Rose?"

Because he did not understand these kinds of things. He did not understand why she was crying.

Amy tried to explain it to him.

"He was m-meant to be here," she said, not moving her hands away from her face. Her voice was strained, full of sadness and misery. "He-He was meant to be here."

But Shadow still did not understand.

"I know," he said, a little slowly. The beauty of the ongoing fireworks was lost to him now – they were fading anyway, dying like something else was. "But he couldn't make it."

"I wanted him to be here. I wanted him to be here _with me_. This was all for him – and he couldn't even make it." A gut-wenching sob escaped her lips and she began to shake uncontrollably. "_Sonic._"

And Shadow didn't know why he did it. He knelt by Amy's side and put an arm around her. His eyes were still indifferent – like usual – but unlike the other times, his eyes were indifferent because he was trying to hide what he was feeling. The other times, he simply felt nothing at all. "Rose…" _He did not understand what was happening._

"He would've loved the fireworks, Shadow," she continued to cry. "Sonic would have, definitely! It was just his kind of thing!" She finally pulled her hands away her face but only to clench at the fabric above her chest. "He would have loved today, Shadow… He was going to love _me_."

_He did not know what 'love' was._

"You couldn't have guaranteed that," Shadow found himself saying. "A day doesn't change a person's heart."

_And she knew what 'love' was too well. _

"It changed mine – when he first saved me. All it took was a day."

Shadow stared at her, at her glistening tears and her emerald eyes hazed over with sadness… and love? How could she still 'love' when she was already in so much pain? How could she still 'love' when it brought her down to tears? How could she still 'love'… when she got nothing in return?

Shadow did not understand.

Suddenly, Amy turned to him, meeting his eyes. They were so close he swore that he could feel her soft, light breath on the fur of his muzzle. "I'm sorry, Shadow. This is a horrible way to end a date, and it's all my fault. Forgive me?"

Shadow stared back at her, trying to decipher her eyes. Didn't she express her feelings on a platter? Didn't she reveal them for all to see? Didn't her mouth run off with whatever she was feeling? But she was feeling too much and Shadow couldn't discern each emotion in her soft, gentle gaze. "There's nothing to forgive."

And she smiled at him – a small one, sure, but to Shadow it was something more – and said, "Thank you." Then she cupped his cheek and pressed her lips softly, yet quickly, against his nose. When she pulled back and saw his dumbfounded expression, she laughed. "You weren't Sonic," she said with a grin. "But I had fun with you all the same. At least… we weren't _both_ alone, right?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, "Take me home, Shadow."

And because she told him so, he did. With the wind in her hair and the comfort of warm arms around her, Amy was lulled into a relaxed state, one which wouldn't let her nightmares come to the forefront of her mind. Before she knew it, the wind hand stopped and Shadow was standing perfectly still, in front of her house. He let go of her, with a little reluctance, and Amy slowly made her way towards her door.

She looked back at him.

Her eyes were still pink from crying and her expression was one of weariness. Yet, she managed to pull off a small smile. "Thank you. Again." She laughed. "And sorry. Good night, Shadow." Then she turned and walked into her house, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

And Shadow walked away too, pondering about how he couldn't understand her, couldn't understand this 'love' she talked about, while all the while wondering about this strange ache in his chest.

He didn't understand any of it.

But, for some reason, Amy made him want to.

All it took was a day, she had said – _so what about a night?_

-x-

A/N: Well, that's the first chapter finished. A second chapter should be on its way in approximately a week. Shadow's fallen already, so in the next chapter, it'll be Amy's turn – how, you ask? Well, it's time for Shadow to take her out on _his_ planned date – it's going to be cute, I can tell you that now :D

Thanks for reading!

-x-


	2. Second

The Oxymoron

-x-

_In this chapter: Shadow makes good on the bet – since he'd won at Laser Force, he has to take Amy out on another date. Amy, while pleasantly suspiciously confused, isn't expecting much; but what is Shadow, if not a careless perfectionist?_

-x-

Brooding.

He was probably the undefeated champion of that particular sport; if it wasn't actually a sport, he should make it one, because he was damn good at it.

Shadow did it everywhere, at any time, sometimes for no reason whatsoever. He practiced it daily, even now as he stood there in front of Amy's front door.

… _Damn it._

He gave a weary sigh and scratched the back of his head, glaring at the rectangular piece of wood which served as the only physical barrier between him and who he wanted to see. A few nights prior, he had a strange and disturbing revelation, and it involved a certain pink hedgehog. He realized that yes, indeed, there had been a reason why he wanted to see her again so soon; there had been a reason why he watched her so closely that night, dissecting her moods and her actions; there had been a reason why, when he dreamed, he thought about her smile when her eyes were watery with tears.

He knew the reason; he wasn't an idiot who couldn't decipher his own emotions – _but that didn't mean he understood them._

He knew about strong, personal bonds. He had experience – a very small one, admittedly – about sincere affection for someone. As it turned out, he actually _liked_ the crazy pink furry, who waved her hammer around like a lunatic when enraged. Once he found that out, he was only a tiny bit reluctant to accept it – it was weird, the way he was feeling about such a polar opposite of his, yet he was smart enough to know that denying one's emotions would get him _absolutely nowhere._

He was only confused about one particular little detail – probably the most important of all: to _what extent exactly_ did he like her?

That was a real head-scratcher.

The fact that he hadn't yet found the answer baffled him, even with his soul-searching in a lonely, confined room where he had nothing to do _but_ think of one. Then finally, he came to a decision.

He was going to make Amy tell him the answer. After all, she knew about these kinds of things, about 'affection' and 'love.'

If she said he loved her, then he loved her. If she said he didn't, then, well – he didn't. She was the expert on all things concerned with 'love', right? Right – so he'd let her decide, because she knew best. He didn't need help identifying what he was feeling – it was definitely affection, for sure – but it was exactly _what kind of affection_ that he was unsure of; was it of friendship? Of family? The affection of a guardian to someone he needed to protect? Was it _love_?

Well, let's see.

_It was what this whole thing was about, anyway._

So he rung her doorbell.

A minute or so later, the door swung open. Amy was standing in front of him, her eyes wide with surprise. Then, before he even had the chance to speak, her gaze immediately became panicked and concerned and she asked hurriedly, "Is something wrong?"

Shadow frowned. "What?"

"Is everything okay? Is Sonic alright? What kind of trouble are you guys in now?" she asked hurriedly, clutching the bottom of her trademark red dress in worry. Her emerald eyes pierced through his own, trying to search for answers in that ever-calm red gaze.

Shadow crossed his arms and said roughly, "Rose, I'm not here because I need your help. I'm not here to warn you that your friends need help either. As far as I know, they're in no danger."

Immediately, Amy relaxed, and she stopped clutching her dress. She leaned on her doorframe, relieved yet confused. She smiled at him warily. "Then why are you here, Shadow?"

The dark hedgehog rolled his eyes. "Am I some kind of dark omen for you?" he asked a little sharply. "A Death Bringer? Some sort of creature that forewarns trouble?"

"Well, yeah," Amy said immediately. "I mean, only the last bit, the 'creature that forewarns trouble' thing. You're not really the other two… I think. Maybe." She, although seemed a bit rude, was telling the truth and Shadow knew it. He could probably count on one hand the number of occasions in which he _didn't_ turn up to invite some sort of trouble, or warn them of it, or even be the cause of it. In fact, he probably wouldn't be able to count off a single finger of when he simply dropped in to say 'hello' without impending doom following quickly after.

_Which was so unlike her – wherever she went, she brought hope, bright as a morning sky in winter darkness. Because she was strong, and so was the blue hedgehog who would inevitably come to her side, as if __**he**__ was the one chasing __**her**__._

Shadow finally answered with, "I'm not here to cause trouble," – _he thinks_. "I'm just here to claim my reward."

This time it was Amy who frowned. She stopped leaning on the doorframe and crossed her arms, mimicking him. "What reward?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm surprised you've forgotten," Shadow countered smoothly. He smirked. "I won the game at Laser Force, did I not? I'm here to claim my winnings."

Confusion flashed in her eyes, followed by _more_ confusion. "B-But we weren't betting on anything, were we? I mean, those stakes were only meant for Sonic and me…"

Shadow shrugged. "You spoke the stakes. I wanted to play. You agreed – I won. I'm surprised we're even arguing about this."

"But those-those weren't _our_ stakes! We didn't even have any! It was only meant to be a fun _game_-!" Shadow looked at her with blunt, stubborn eyes, her excuses and rambles obviously being dismissed without a care. Amy flushed, a blush smearing her cheeks. "_Shadow_," she ground out, her eye twitching. "What are you playing at?"

The Ultimate Lifeform shrugged casually. "I'm playing at nothing. Although, I never thought you'd be one to break your word."

Amy glared slightly but then she hid her eyes beneath one of her hands with a deep, patient sigh, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing and simply wanted it to _go away_. But then she looked at Shadow through a crack in her fingers and smirked coyly. "You know, if you wanted another date with me, you could've just asked."

Shadow looked away. "Hmph."

His response, oddly enough, made her blush – _because he hadn't denied it._ She looked at him carefully before saying in a slow and deliberate tone, "But sorry, Shadow, I can't. I've got plans with _Sonic_ right now, so it'll have to wait until another day."

Shadow immediately snapped his gaze onto her, glaring darkly. "_Cancel._" It was more like a demand than anything else – in fact, he probably saw it as one himself. He wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Amy blinked and then she laughed, quietly at first, but then louder and louder. "Shadow, I was _joking_! I don't really have plans with anyone! I just wanted to see what you would do." She wiped an imaginary tear from her eye as her laughter died down. "Well, I guess you _are_ serious then. Which, by the way, is weird." _His reaction even weirder – did he want to go out with her __**that**__ badly?_ "Are we going right now?"

Because she had tricked him, Shadow felt rather annoyed. He glared at her and said tightly, "Yes."

The pink furry rolled her eyes. "Lighten up!" she grinned. Then she looked at her watch. "I'll get ready in ten minutes – just wait out here, please!" Then she slammed the door in his face and rushed to get dressed for her day with Shadow.

Meanwhile, Shadow was left standing there in front of her door. He let out a deep breath, as if he'd been holding it for a long, long time, and looked at the bright, blue sky.

He hoped that Amy could find his answer for him; by the end of the day, he should know.

He should know whether or not he loved her.

-x-

"Shadow… I can't believe it…" Amy clutched his arm, almost too shocked to stand on her own two feet. "How did you…?"

Shadow smirked smugly. "You'd think that when I left G.U.N., I wouldn't take some _spoils_ with me? Besides, it doesn't hurt when you've got an acquaintance who steals jewels for a living."

Snapped out of her surprise, Amy turned to glare at him. "Stealing is wrong, Shadow!"

"Hmph." Shadow wasn't really listening.

Seeing this, Amy rolled her eyes but decided to let the matter go. After all, this place was undoubtedly the most expensive restaurant she's ever been to and she wasn't going to complain about Shadow's suspicious _hobbies _her entire stay here.

It was a beautiful place, located in one of the fancier hotels in Station Square. It was, to put it simply, a gigantic, golden hall, with chandeliers burning bright and sparkling from the ceiling. Mirrors replaced the walls of the venue and beautiful tables with white lace were placed around the circular dance floor at the centre of the room. In the middle of the dance floor was a raised stage; on it was an orchestra consisting of musicians who played the violins, cello, clarinet, flute and grand piano. People danced in couples around the musicians, so close and so elegant that they might as well have been in a ballroom. It was clear that the musicians were meant to be the central focus of the venue, being placed in the centre, while the couples who danced around it were like petals swaying in the breeze.

And suddenly, Amy felt terribly underdressed with her simple green dress and only a touch of makeup. She cast her gaze down and fidgeted with her hair self-consciously.

_No wonder Shadow decided to wear black dress pants, a white-collared shirt and a dark blazer, when on the date a week ago, he'd worn baggy pants and a throw-on shirt._

"I can't believe you didn't tell me that we were going to _The Lily_," she scowled, deeply.

"Don't worry about it," Shadow whispered into her ear, and as if he could read her thoughts – or, more like, could read her _actions_, he said, "You look beautiful anyway."

Amy, for not the first time that day, flushed. A receptionist spotted them standing near the entrance and questioned if they'd made a reservation. Shadow replied with a bland, "Yes, under Shadow the Hedgehog."

The receptionist checked, nodded, and then called for a waiter to lead them to a table for two. Amy was still in awe of the place; not only for its sheer size but also for its golden beauty and lovely music. When they finally got seated, Amy couldn't hold it in any longer. She blurted, "How did you know?"

Shadow quirked an eyebrow. "You'll have to be a little bit more specific than that."

"I've always wanted to come here!" she elaborated, excitedly. "I've heard so much about this place – the wonderful setting, the beautiful music, the delicious food; in fact, I heard that it was so romantic that it was the ideal place where people proposed to each other!" It was hard to miss the squeal in her high-pitched voice. "Thank you so much, Shadow!"

Her happiness was contagious; it made Shadow smile, if only slightly. "It's nothing, Rose."

And the rumours weren't lying; the food was heavenly. They made little small talk – like before – but _unlike_ before, it was completely comfortable. Amy was surprised by how well this 'date' was starting out. She was also curious as to exactly _why_ the Ultimate Lifeform wanted to spend a day with her – who was pretty much a stranger, at best no more than an acquaintance. Sure, she'd somehow convinced him not to destroy the planet, and they'd battled alongside each other on rare occasions, but they weren't close – not really. So why had he suddenly taken an interest in her?

She'd finished her food and was about to inquire exactly that when Shadow abruptly stood up. He held out a hand to her, gaze impassive and unreadable.

Amy stared at him – surely he wasn't…? "Shadow?"

He graced her with a slight smile. "Care to dance?"

The pink hedgehog bit her lip nervously, excited and afraid with the way that her heart suddenly started to beat irregularly at the sight of Shadow's hand and smile. For some reason, she found herself making excuses. "But Shadow, I never really pinned you for the slow-dancing type…"

His eyes narrowed and the smile disappeared; Amy regretted the words that made him do that. "I'm not Sonic."

The words were firm and they resonated between the empty air between them like the ringing of a bell.

_Shadow was not Sonic._

Amy smiled shakily and took his hand. He wrapped his hand around hers and helped her stand up. "It'll be my pleasure, Shadow." Although Amy tried to make her voice sound confident and aloof – playful, even – it ended up rather soft, quiet, like a whisper in the wind.

And for some reason, the way that Shadow was looking at her made her face burn like it was on fire.

He led her to the dance floor, towards the other couples who had their arms wrapped around each other, swaying to the beautiful music of the mini-orchestra. Shadow placed his hands on her hips without hesitation, causing Amy's face to turn an even darker shade of crimson, but she automatically placed her hands tentatively on his shoulders.

It was obvious that Amy was trying to keep the distance between them as wide as possible and as a result, it made their dancing just a little bit awkward. However, with the narrowed glare of her dark companion, the gap slowly decreased as he slowly and gently pulled her closer. Before Amy knew it, her arms were wrapped around his neck and her head was just a breath away from leaning against his collarbone.

_What was she doing?_

She softly closed her eyes, the blush still prominent on her cheeks; she wasn't wearing a smile. She was… confused. About the way Shadow so gently held her, about the way his warmth seemed to seep into her bones – about the way her own heart was reacting to everything that he did, as if he were… as if he were…

Then he whispered into her ear and his voice was so close that it startled her, "_Rose_…"

Abruptly, she pulled away, feeling like her head was going to explode if it became any hotter. She took a couple of steps away from him, almost colliding with another couple. Her face was still overheating when she stuttered, "I-I-I think I've had enough." She couldn't meet his piercing eyes. "Can we… Can we go?"

There was a silence between them for a heartbeat before Shadow replied nonchalantly with, "Sure."

So they left, Shadow's face impassive and Amy's face burning with embarrassment – and the slightest, _slightest_ hint of regret that she was no longer in his arms.

-x-

"Thanks for the day, Shadow. I've had a great time!"

Shadow frowned at her and snatched her wrist before she could dash away. "What are you talking about? It's not over yet."

Amy didn't know how long she could last being around him anymore. She was still feeling a little lightheaded from what happened in the restaurant – _what __**had**__ happened in the restaurant?_ She didn't want to delve too deeply into it because, for sure, her suspicions were false – in fact, they were so improbable that she was amazed that she'd even _suspected_ it in the first place.

But it couldn't be. Not Shadow.

And definitely not with _her_.

_So calm down before he thinks you're even more of a freak._

"Really?" she squeaked. "Then where else are we going?"

The dark hedgehog scrutinized her for a bit – _probably wondering about her strange behaviour_ – but he allowed his lips to twitch up in a mild smirk. "Some place I believe you'd _love_."

The way he said it sounded weird to her, like she'd heard something like it before. But before she could ponder on it further, he was already walking away. She jogged slightly to catch up with him, asking him where _exactly_ they were going, but being the stubborn hedgehog he was, he didn't say a word. She didn't have to wait long to find out, though. Before she realized it, they ended up at the entrance of Mobius Dream Amusement Park.

And Amy couldn't help it – the grin that stretched across her face was impossible to hide from the world; or from him.

_And he drunk up her smile like it was the only breath of fresh air in a confined room with no windows._

Amy pressed her hands against her cheeks, shaking her head slowly. "I can't believe it." Her eyes practically sparkled as she stared at the amusement park. Even from where they were standing they could hear the laughing shrieks of the people inside and the rattle of machinery as rollercoaster carts zoomed by at ridiculous (but not _too_ ridiculous, like, say, supersonic level) speeds. People were walking in and out of the amusement park, all of them wearing almost identical grins to her own.

"Well?" Shadow asked, thoroughly amused by her childish reaction. "What are you waiting for, Rose?"

Before the last word had even escaped his lips, Amy had snatched his hand and was dragging him towards the entrance. "Shadow, you're unbelievable! _Unbelievable_!" She turned to glance at him and the _happiness_ in her eyes was in such excess that it made Shadow surprisingly warm. "You're _amazing_! Come on, let's go – I wanna go on _all_ the rides!"

Although Shadow didn't share her enthusiasm – after all, after you've done Chaos Control about a hundred or so times, the thrill of the mediocre speeds provided by the 'thrill rides' here were laughable, at best – but he enjoyed the way _her_ enthusiasm seemed to make up for the both of them. So he didn't really mind it when Amy dragged him all over the place, making him go on rides with her and challenging him in the game stalls; in fact, after a while, he felt like he was having… _fun_… himself, God forbid. But only because she was there.

Only because she was _always_ there, holding his hand.

And with this revelation, the confusion he had earlier began to clear, ever so slowly.

-x-

They left the amusement park when it was almost sundown. Amy looked fairly exhausted, while Shadow himself looked like usual: unfazed and apathetic. But there was a smile on his muzzle which he couldn't supress and it didn't help either when Amy constantly grinned at him.

"That was fun!" she beamed. "We should go together again sometime, Shadow!"

And Shadow made a secret smile and glanced at her softly, saying, "… You've got yourself a promise there, Rose."

Amy didn't notice the change in his tone or the warmth in his eyes. She stretched her arms above her head, beginning a yawn, but then Shadow quickly intervened. "I hope you're not tired," he said, rather blandly. "Because we've got one more stop to go to."

"What? It's still not over yet?" She didn't want Shadow to misunderstand – she really _did _enjoy spending her time with him. But with all the energy she'd spent at the amusement park, she was feeling rather tired. "Is it far?"

Then, to her utter shock, Shadow picked her up without prior warning. She flushed in embarrassment, hoping that no one was watching – _and knowing with certainty that they were_ – and she screeched, "Shadow! What do you think you're doing? Put me down!"

"Hush," he whispered to her, his breath tickling her nose. His crimson eyes bore into hers like they were commanding her _to_ _be quiet and be still. _"The place I have in mind will take us forever to get to – with your speed. Just close your eyes, Rose, and I'll simply take you there."

A moment's panic gripped her – did she trust Shadow enough to know that he wouldn't carry her off to some dangerous place where she'd feel uncomfortable? Did she even trust him at all? But as she stared up at him, she was already feeling herself relaxing. "Hmm…" Then she closed her eyes and simply rested her head against his chest, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

She did trust him.

There was something in his bloody red eyes – something warm and kind, like the flickers of a gentle fire – that soothed her.

She felt the wind again as he started to run (skate?), the air cool against her skin as it ruffled her fur. Like Shadow promised, he arrived at his destination in no time. When Amy felt him stop, she slowly blinked her eyes open. Shadow put her down on her own two feet and turned her towards the sunset.

And she felt tears prick her eyes.

Because the sunset was beautiful and it pierced through her heart.

The golden sun was sinking beneath the horizon, hiding behind the irregular heights of the city buildings. But it was the sky that held her attention the most – a mesh of gold, orange, pink and blue, a beautiful combination of colours that blended in together like a painting. And beyond those colours – a deep, dark black, _just_ beginning to show the signs of existing stars. As they stood there on the edge of a cliff, she could see everything with vivid clarity and suddenly, everything that happened today made sense to her.

"_I chose this place specifically. I know that it isn't a big, fancy restaurant, but Sonic hates those kinds of places – he says that the music was too slow and the people too quiet."_

She covered her mouth with her hands, unable to stop the tears from falling. She slowly sunk to her knees until she was sitting, her sobs soundless, as if reluctant to break the silent beauty before her very eyes.

_The restaurant, vivid and beautiful and silent, except for the slow, beautiful music that wafted through the air like life itself._

Shadow watched her sink to the grassy ground and again he was filled with concern. He sat behind her, cross-legged, and questioned quietly, "Rose?"

"_Silly. I wasn't planning of ever dancing. Sonic wouldn't have wanted to and I wouldn't have forced him. It was just a nice place, that's all, with good music."_

Slowly, Amy turned towards him and met his gaze. Her lips quivered as she asked, "Why did you want to go out with me, Shadow?"

_And he danced with her slowly, arms securely around her, and she couldn't help but bask in the warmth that he gave her; heart that beat against hers, hands that said he'd never let go – and his voice, full of wonder and appreciation and precious slowness, "__**Rose**__…"_

"I wanted to take you out, Rose," he answered, staring at her unblinkingly. "And we made bets."

"_The place I wanted to go to next was the night-time amusement park with the rides. But then I thought about Sonic – I mean, he's the fastest thing alive, so he wouldn't be excited by a rollercoaster ride. And who cared about the height, too? He's fallen from space! I'm sure a hundred metres above ground won't faze him anymore. There's nothing else in an amusement park besides those thrill rides – just little baby ones and game stalls. And Sonic wouldn't have liked doing those things either; it would've been too boring."_

Her tears fell faster. "That's not what I mean, Shadow, and you know it! You know what I'm talking about!"

_Her happiness when she simply had fun with him, enjoying the fact that he was by her side; it was her happiness, her joy, her thrill – it made her smile, knowing that this type of 'fun' did not endanger their lives, and she wouldn't end up all alone one day._

Shadow clenched his fists softly on his lap, certainly knowing where this was going. But even though he had been eager to find out in the beginning – determined, even – now he just felt a little bit nervous… and perhaps a bit afraid.

"_Yeah, well, you have to keep Sonic's interest somehow. What better way to do so than with a little friendly competitive game?"_

"Shadow?"

_With them, there was no need for a 'friendly competitive game', because even without it, without its stakes and its bets, they actually __**wanted**__ to be together again – they didn't have to worry about 'winning' anything._

"I just wanted…" Shadow started, holding her eyes, "I just wanted to determine whether or not I loved you."

"_He would've loved the fireworks, Shadow. Sonic would have, definitely! It was just his kind of thing! He would have loved today, Shadow… He was going to love __**me**__."_

And even though Amy was expecting it, she gasped in shock once she heard his words. She held her hands over her mouth and stared back at him, at his crimson eyes that were piercingly gentle.

_Eyes that said that she didn't need to do anything special; she didn't need to force herself. She didn't need to plan or to plot or to study or to chase – it came as naturally as a smile, a smirk, a quick glancing of green and ruby eyes._

And the sunset.

Had he known?

That fireworks were gone too quickly for her – that she hated how they only shone for the briefest of moments before they died and trickled away, the colours fading into the blackness of the sky?

Did he know – that she did not want a love like that, did not really care for fireworks? Because they were fickle things, exploding with passion one second and then quickly disappearing, as if they never existed?

Sonic would have loved them, for sure, because he was dynamic and quick – they would've held his interest for just the right amount of time before he got bored with their lights. Then he'd go searching elsewhere, towards something new, something exciting, searching for that brief explosion of passion and adrenaline to hold his interest again before he moved on.

That was who he was.

But that wasn't who Amy was.

And had Shadow known that? Known all of this?

That she loved the sunsets and the sunrises, because they were constant and daily and utterly dependable? The colours that had mixed with the fireworks – _the blues, the pinks, the reds and greens _– looked so _artificial _compared to the natural blends made by a sunset – the reds and pinks, fading into the dark blue, the black.

_Had Shadow known all of this?_

_Had he learned __**who Amy **__**really was**__, from a single night?_

Shadow's eyes spoke it all: _**yes, he had.**_

He cupped her cheek, brushing away her tears with his thumb. "Rose," he said again, closer than Amy remembered him being a moment ago. "Do I love you?"

And before she could answer, he closed the gap between them, tenderly stealing a kiss.

Something exploded inside of her, just as something collapsed inside of him. Amy's lips parted – ever so slightly – and Shadow traced the insides of her mouth with his tongue. He pulled her face closer, deepening the kiss, feeling like he was suffocating himself in the scent that was Amy.

But then he pulled back and he stared into her eyes with the utmost seriousness: "Do I love you, Amy Rose?"

And she found that her mouth was dry, the beating of her heart so loud that it deafened her. She could barely see him through her mind's haziness, her thoughts scattered and frenzied.

_He'd studied her. Just like how she studied Sonic. _

_He'd planned this day. Just like how she planned that night for Sonic._

_He'd tried to make her fall in love with him – just like how she tried to make Sonic fall in love with her._

_**Why?**_

Was it… _love_?

"No," someone said – it sounded like her. "Shadow, I think you're confused." Yes, it was definitely her voice. "You don't love me; it's impossible." She gave a shaky grin at him but she couldn't meet his red, crimson gaze; her eyes were downcast, trying to conceal her lie. "It's not _love_."

Before Shadow could speak, Amy stood up quickly. "But don't be disheartened, Shadow! After all, that's what dates are for, right? To see if you love the other person or not? Sorry, but you don't love me, and I would know after all! But thank you anyway for today, Shadow. I had fun. I'll see you later, okay?" Then she walked around him and without a second's delay, she dashed off, still not looking at him, still hiding the truth from her own heart.

"_All it took was a day."_

That was the truth.

And Amy tried to bury it.

Because she couldn't fall in love with Shadow – just as he couldn't fall in love with her. She ran and she ran, not knowing where she was going, only knowing that she had to _get away from him_.

Get away from the truth, even though she knew it was impossible, because the truth was already inside her, scorching her heart.

She laughed bitterly to herself. Why had Shadow gone out of his way to make this day _perfect_?

He was such a careless perfectionist.

She wondered if he knew… just what kind of trouble he'd gotten them into.

-x-

Meanwhile, as Amy ran, Shadow trailed after her, silently and quickly, making sure she didn't discover him. He was going to make sure that she got home okay, even in her flustered state.

But why was he doing this? Why did he care?

Amy, the expert on love, had said that he didn't in fact love her. He'd told himself in the beginning, hadn't he, that he'd trust her judgement on this particular matter? That he'd leave it well enough alone if it wasn't as he suspected?

But Shadow was smarter than that. He'd known the answer to his question long before she spoke her lie.

He understood her infatuation with Sonic a little better now. He understood why she put so much effort into her 'date' with him. He understood why she cried when he wasn't there.

When he'd kissed her, he suddenly understood that unfamiliar ache in his chest. So of course, he didn't believe her when she said that he didn't love her.

Shadow the Hedgehog couldn't be tricked that easily, and he was going to dedicate himself fully to proving her wrong.

He was always right and he always got what he wanted – and he knew, after today, that he wanted Amy Rose.

-x-

A/N: There you go, the second chapter, early too! At this rate, the next and last one (I think) is right around the corner as well :) Hope you've enjoyed! And thank you to all my reviewers!

Ja ne.


	3. And The Third Of Many

The Oxymoron

A Sonic the Hedgehog Fanfiction

Written by KazunaPikachu

-x-

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate the support :D I hope this last chapter is to your satisfaction!

PS: I have never actually seen or read the book/movie Breaking Dawn. No offence to Twilight fans, but I personally dislike the whole plot of the saga. I've only included it because Amy would have most likely loved the series, and any apparent knowledge I have of Breaking Dawn was simply due to a quick and reluctant google search. Have a pleasant day :D

PSS: I'm drawing a doujinshi/comic of this fanfiction. If you'd like to read it, go to deviantart and just type in the title, along with the words shadamy comic.

_In this final chapter of The Oxymoron: Amy Rose, confused, bewildered and apprehensive, tries to convince Shadow that he was not in love with her and vice versa. However, Shadow being as he is, knows how to counter every argument she had against them – and prove that in all actuality, they were the perfect oxymoron._

-x-

"I swear, Sonic, it's not like that! I don't feel that way about him _at all_!"

Sonic's lime-green stare bore into her soul, accusing and suspicious.

Amy continued to rant, trying to defend herself but knowing that it was useless. "I don't like him like that! He's just – He's just a good friend, that's all! Don't misunderstand! I love _you_, Sonic! I don't love Shadow!"

She stopped her pacing to stare up at the giant portrait she had of Sonic; she held her hands together as if in prayer, gazing up at him with pleading eyes. "Please trust me, Sonic!"

But even though the Sonic in the picture was smiling his trademark grin – and although his eyes were bright with life and he held up his hand in a thumbs-up – to Amy Rose, he was still looking at her with such sad eyes that she felt guilt tearing at her heart.

Because she knew it – and therefore the Sonic on her wall knew it – that she… that she…

"NO!" she screeched, not allowing herself to finish that thought. She grabbed her quills in frustration, grinding her teeth together. "This is ridiculous! This is _Shadow_ that I'm thinking about! The gloomy, depressed, violence-loving, gun-using, thieving little bad boy! He's the complete opposite of Sonic! I _can't_ like him!"

But he'd shown her a different side the other day, hadn't he? He'd shown her that he was considerate, that he paid attention to her, that she was worth planning the perfect date for.

And it really was perfect – it was as if he'd known her his entire life; he knew her wants and desires, what she hated and what she disliked – it was both flattering and creepy.

Amy recommenced pacing in her room, swinging her arms defiantly as a war raged on in her head and in her heart. Then, abruptly, she grinded to a halt and she whipped her head around to stare at Sonic's portrait. "That's it!" she said, cracking a rather unhinged smile. "I just need to _prove_ that I don't like him – and vice versa! I'll show him who I really am – with Shadow's impatience, he won't be able to stand me! And I won't be able to stand him being so irritated! Then we'll – _he'll_ realize that we're not fit together!"

She placed her hands on her hips and declared, "It's genius! Then you'll see, Sonic! You're the only one for me – the only one." Her eyes became rather shadowed then, a little sad and heavy. "Because even though you push me away all the time… even though you keep running away from me… you're still willing to let me stay by your side. You've never blown up at me or told me to leave you alone – like, to _really_ leave you alone – when a normal person would have already, ages ago. So it has to mean something, right? You must like me, somewhere deep down. So I'll keep liking you, I'll stay faithful to you… Because that's what I owe you, Sonic. I owe you everything."

_And she wouldn't dare hurt him, the hero of her dreams and her heart. She wants to love him solely forever, just in case that day might come – if he ever realized that he may like her back. She'd stay by his side, because if she did, he wouldn't have to worry or be hurt._

_He didn't have to worry about finding someone to love._

_For all the times he'd saved her, Amy wanted to pay him back. And she could – by simply waiting._

"Yosh!" she huffed, pumping her fist into the air. "Then let's do it!" She smiled evilly at nothing in particular. "Watch out, Shadow. You're really in for it now!"

-x-

"Why, hello, Rose."

Amy plastered on a wide, fake grin. "Hiya, Shadow!"

The dark hedgehog in question quirked an eyebrow, staring at the pink furry with apparent confusion – _how in the blazes did she find out where he lived?_ But on another matter, he was absolutely certain that she would've fought tooth and nail _not_ to see him again, especially with how she reacted the other day; so her turning up on his front doorstep rather stunted his character profile of her.

"Say, Shadow, if you're free, why don't we go out together today?" she asked, still smiling brightly.

And her asking him out on another date – of her own free will – further spat and laughed at how he perceived her character.

What. The. Hell?

He narrowed his eyes, obviously and rightfully suspicious. He crossed his arms and didn't move away from his doorframe. "What are you planning, Rose?" He didn't like the look in her eyes.

The plastic grin never left her face for even a moment, which was beginning to annoy him. "Nothing! I would just _love_ to spend more time with you, Shadow! I mean, I enjoyed myself_ so much_ last time! I wanted to hang out with you again!"

Shadow could feel himself starting to sneer.

There was one thing we had to get straight about Shadow: he did like Amy Rose – he really, _really_ did – and he did want to spend more time with her. In fact, the only reason why he hadn't knocked on her door himself was because he was considerate enough to give her some space before he asked her out again. But with the way she was acting right now – the fake smile, the falsely affection eyes, the high-pitched, purposely squeaky voice – Shadow was not appreciating being in her company at all.

So he simply glared at her and asked coldly, "Why?"

Amy, being who she was, detected his resentment and decided to down-play her act a little. After all, if she wanted her plan to work, she had to _at least_ get him out of his apartment block. Her eerie grin faded into a hesitant, shy smile. She looked down and said softly, "Before I left the other time… you asked me a question. Do you remember what it was, Shadow? It was… was whether or not you…" She gulped. "Whether or not you loved me. I said you didn't." She then glanced at him from beneath her lashes. "The truth is… I think I was lying. I think that I – at least – _do_ kind of… like… you. So I wanted to try it again. To make sure." She bit her bottom lip. "Please?"

And how could Shadow resist such a face? How could he turn away such pleading, beautiful eyes? How could he do such things, when her coy bashfulness was making him blush and his palms to go slightly sweaty? His eyes widened slightly and he turned away, not trusting himself to gaze at her without wanting to hold her in the same breath. "F-Fine," he said, forcing his voice to be gruff. "I'll go out with you."

And while he wasn't looking, Amy turned her head away and discreetly poked out her tongue, the timidity disappearing within a blink.

_Men._

_That's not to say, however, that her own words did not strike something true in her heart. She simply ignored the aching echo that proved the sincerity of her words._

Plastering on her fake grin, Amy said happily, "Great! Thank you so much, Shadow!" She grabbed his hand and began dragging him away from his apartment. "Today's going to be great, I know it!"

"W-Wait, you don't want me to put on some clothes or something?" For some reason, that sounded rather odd.

"Nah, you're fine without them." That sounded rather odd too.

She noticed and blushed slightly, refusing to meet the sudden smirk on his face. "Pervert."

Shadow shrugged and continued to smirk, letting her drag him along by the hand.

-x-

Part A of Amy's I'm-Gonna-Make-Shadow-Hate-Me Plan involved the following: to become her true inner-child in order to repulse Shadow's more mature, no-nonsense character.

"Shaaaaadow," Amy chimed, racing around the park. "Catch me if you can!"

Shadow didn't know what he was expecting but an afternoon picnic at the park wasn't it. He was carrying a basket that she'd brought along and he watched as she laughed and ran in circles around the children's park. There was a small playground in the centre, while around it was just a span of plain green grass with the occasional age-old tree.

"Hey Shadow!" she exclaimed, materializing from behind him. "Tag, you're it!" Then she shoved him with a little more force than what was necessary and he stumbled forward, almost dropping the picnic basket. Then she giggled madly and ran away, leaving him befuddled and slightly annoyed.

What was she doing? She was acting like a child.

_And the thing was, Amy didn't need to act._

"Hey Shadow, hey Shadow, hey Shadow, hey Shadow, hey Shadow." She appeared before him again when he didn't give chase. "Don't you know how to play tag?"

Shadow frowned. "Actually, I –"

"Never mind!" Amy interrupted cheerfully. "I'm hungry anyway! We can play tag later!" She eagerly grabbed the basket away from him and took out the picnic mat. She spread out the square piece of cloth on the soft green grass and promptly sat on it, taking out the food she'd prepared. She hummed to herself as she did so.

Shadow joined her, staring at her with blank curiosity. "Wanna play a game, Shadow?" Amy asked as she was unpacking their lunch.

"Not particularly."

"We're gonna play anyway! Let's play I Spy!"

"I loathe that game. I loathe _all _games." If he was trying to sound like an unlovable grouch, he was succeeding with flying colours.

Amy pouted. "Oh, come on, Shadow! Fine! If you don't want to play a game, why don't we sing?"

Shadow's eyebrow twitched. "_Sing_?"

"_London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down; Oh, the London Bridge is falling down, My Fair Lady_," Amy sang, giggling. "_Itsy bitsy spider climbed up a water spout; down came the rain and washed the spider out; out came the sun shine and dried up all the rain; itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again._"

"Those aren't songs," Shadow pointed out rather bluntly before she could start another one. "They're nursery rhymes."

"But you sing them, right? Therefore, they're songs!" Before she could argue with Shadow further, she spotted an ice-cream cart making its way around the park. "Oh! Oh! Shadow, look! Ice-cream!" She forgot about her pre-packed food and stood up, dashing towards the ice-cream cart. Shadow sighed beneath his breath and followed after her, standing behind the pink furry as she ordered her ice-cream from the ice-cream man. "One strawberry cone, please!" she said brightly. She turned her head towards Shadow. "What about you?"

"I don't like sweets," he stated, staring at the ice-cream man; he was wearing a striped blue and white uniform with an oddly deformed hat.

"Oh, don't be silly!" Amy peered at him closely before saying loudly, "He'll have a peppermint cone, please!"

Shadow glanced sharply at her, "But I don't…"

It was too late. The ice-cream man had already given her two ice-cream cones and she shoved the green one into his hands. "Come on, Shadow. You'll never know if you like it unless you try!" she said with a grin. The ice-cream man pulled his cart away, ringing his bell as he called out for anyone else who wanted to purchase the chilly treat.

"Rose, really, I don't eat ice-cream," Shadow said, frowning.

Amy mimicked his frown and said, "Who doesn't like ice-cream? Just try it, will you?" She began to lick her own pink treat, smiling happily as she did so. "Yum!" She was so engrossed with eating her sweet, delectable treat that she didn't notice how Shadow watched her with a gaze that differed from his usual stone-hard stare. However, she did notice how he wasn't eating his peppermint cone and an idea popped in her head. "Try my strawberry then," she said a little mischievously as she held out her cone to his face.

As he opened his mouth to bluntly decline, Amy shoved her ice-cream cone into his mouth. She laughed hysterically, stole his peppermint one and dashed off with it.

Shadow stood there, the cone sliding off his face and leaving a pink, sticky mess in its wake. He wiped his face with his hand and glared at Amy's fleeing, laughing figure.

Before the pink hedgehog knew it, someone had tackled her from behind and she gave a surprised yelp as she was thrown to the ground. She landed with a thud on her back but somehow managed to keep the peppermint ice-cream from falling off its cone as she held it above her head. "Shadow! What do you think you're doing?"

He was on top of her, lifting his own weight by the hands that lay on either side of her head. He smirked down at her, licking the remanets of strawberry ice-cream from his face. "Maybe I _was_ wrong – I do like strawberry ice-cream." Then he leaned down and licked some of the peppermint ice-cream that she was holding. "This one's not that bad either."

With her beneath him, and with him eating from the cone that she was holding, Amy couldn't help the blush that stained both her cheeks. "S-Shadow?" she squeaked.

Then he leaned further down and whispered into her ear, "Tag, Rose. You're it."

As fast as he had jumped on top of her, he was on his own two feet again and running away. Shocked, all Amy could do was sit up, staring at the smirking face of one dark hedgehog as he turned around to beckon her towards him. "Don't you know how to play tag?" he called out, infuriatingly teasing.

Amy blinked and the peppermint ice-cream fell off its cone.

He was enjoying himself – _this was definitely __**not**__ going according to plan._

But at the time, she didn't really mind it – after all, as she grinned and stood up to chase him, she was rather enjoying herself too.

-x-

After their little episode at the park and after eating her lunch with Shadow, Amy remembered her original goal. She began to kick herself mentally for forgetting.

But now was the time to execute Part B: to reveal her truly romantic side to utterly disgust Shadow's natural apathy to anything emotionally-based.

"It's movie time, Shadow!" she said with a smile. "Since you're not Sonic, I'm sure you'd appreciate the movie I picked out!"

Shadow, for some reason, felt goose-bumps rise on his arms. His hedgehog instincts were alerting him to something but he didn't know what. So he let her drag him somewhere else again, ignoring the odd warning bells ringing at the back of his mind. They entered a department store and walked to the cinemas. When Amy purchased two tickets from the ticket booth, Shadow finally understood why his inner instincts were going beserk.

Amy had just bought two tickets for the movie 'Breaking Dawn.'

Shoot. Him. Now.

"Isn't this great, Shadow?" Amy squealed. "I absolutely love this series! Sonic wasn't a big Twilight fan but I'm sure someone as truly sentimental as you are would appreciate the romance of it!"

Shadow's expression showed it all: he'd rather stab his own hand with a blunt knife a thousand times over – or perhaps even jump off a cliff – than see anything related to the dreaded Twilight saga.

Seeing it, Amy couldn't help but giggle.

_This one will work for sure._

"Aw, I knew you'd like it," she gushed, pulling him towards the theatre. "Let's go! It starts in ten minutes!" She could literally feel Shadow digging his heels into the carpeted flooring of the cinema complex. She hid a bemused and slightly sadistic smile.

This was probably one thing Shadow and Sonic had in common: they both despised 'chick flicks' – _especially_ Twilight.

And she was about to put him through two hours and fifteen minutes of it.

If this didn't prove how much she loved him then nothing did.

-x-

"Oh my goodness!" Amy exclaimed, after watching the whole thing. "That was so… so… so intense! I have to admit though, the whole thing with Bella giving birth to Renesmee was gory! But oh em gee, do you see something happening between Nessie and Jacob? Eeek! I'm not sure what to think of that!"

Shadow listened to her post-movie rant with deaf ears, still trying to recover from his horrific experience. During the movie, he'd tried – _so very hard_ – to block out everything that he heard and saw, but every time he opened his eyes when he thought it was safe (against his better judgement) he felt like gouging them out not a minute later. And the _dialogue_…

It was, simply put, nothing a man should ever have to live through.

All the while, Amy, oblivious to his mental scarring, continued to talk pleasantly, "I mean, with the age difference between Nessie and Jacob, it's kind of gross, don't you think? And I don't care if she's maturing faster or whatnot! Plus, Jacob loved Bella! Isn't it weird if he loved her daughter too? It's kind of like paedophilia, isn't it?"

She glanced slyly at him, knowing that he wasn't listening to her. She grinned secretly – she loved the movie, she really did, and with the way Shadow was acting, she wouldn't be surprised if he hated her already without implementing Part C of her plan.

Which, by the way, was thus: to act as she did with Sonic – all clingy and straightforward and love-professing – because surely, _surely_, Shadow could not tolerate such openness like Sonic has.

_Because she was a creature of love – and Shadow, he surely was not._

"Oh, Shadow!" she grinned, jumping on him and winding her arms around his neck in a tight, air-locking hug. "You're so cute! You know what? I think I really do love you!"

Immediately after her declaration – her lie? – Shadow stiffened and stopped walking. He turned towards her, eyes suddenly serious and attentive, and he said, "What did you say?"

Amy ignored the exhilarating throb in her chest at the sight of his crimson gaze. She smiled brightly. "I think I wanna marry you, Shadow!" She hugged him closer, squeezing the life out of him. "We're going to be together forever and ever! How does that sound? Me, Amy Rose, being your wife! And you, Shadow the Hedgehog, my husband! I can picture our thirteen children now!" She didn't loosen her hold on him, didn't let go of his stiff body. "I love you!"

He didn't respond and Amy finally let go of him. She couldn't look at him in the eye as she spun around and lifted her hands into the air. "Shadow the Hedgehog, my boyfriend!" she shouted, earning a few weird looks from the people who walked by them on the street path. "If I have to, I'm going to chase him all over the world! And nothing's going to stop me or get in my way!" She spun around again and, still not looking at him, launched herself at his chest, encircling his body with her arms. "Because he's my one true love – definitely and truly!"

And then they were enveloped in an uncomfortable, dark kind of silence as her last words were swept away by the cool, evening breeze. Amy squeezed her eyes shut, wondering if her heart was beating fast because she was waiting for the inevitable rejection by Shadow, or if it was beating fast because of something else entirely.

Then, finally, she felt Shadow's hands on her shoulders, and he pushed her back. She couldn't help but look up then – like it was some sort of silent, instinctual compulsion – and she could feel her heart stop once she set eyes on Shadow's gaze. It was angry, furious, annoyed, irritated… but also sad, soft and tender. He placed his forehead on hers, never shifting his eyes away and forcing her to do the same. "I love you too, Amy Rose…" he whispered quietly. "Even when you lie."

Her breath hitched in her throat and she suddenly shoved him harshly away. "What's wrong with you?" she snapped, all pretence gone in the blink of an eye, the staggering beat of a hurting heart. "You've got it all wrong, Shadow! Can't you get the hints? You don't love me! I don't love you! It's physically and virtually _impossible_! We're not compatible, we're not meant to be! How come I'm the only one who can see that?" she screeched. "Just leave me alone!"

And she dashed off again, just like she did earlier in the day when they were playing tag. But this time, her heart wasn't light with childish concerns; it was heavy, anchor-like, and she fled with tears of sadness and frustration in her eyes.

But unlike last time – unlike the last time they confronted their feelings – Shadow didn't just let her run away. He followed her, yes, but only until she ran to a quieter place with less leering eyes: her apartment. She threw her door open but before she could slam it shut, Shadow quickly shot out a hand and stopped her.

Amy, seeing his intrusion, glared defiantly and shouted, "Get out! You're not welcome here! What are you doing? I'll call the police!"

But her threats fell on idle ears. Shadow entered her apartment, locked the door behind him and advanced her, even as she backtracked into her living room, passing one of her cushioned recliner chairs. She tried desperately to keep the distance between them from shrinking. Knowing that there was a table behind her, Amy carefully moved around it and walked further backwards. However, there was limited space in her living room and the back of her knees hit her couch. She stumbled slightly but she didn't fall.

"Get back!" she growled, even with tears in her eyes. "I said get back, Shadow!" When he continued to walk towards her, she couldn't take it anymore. She summoned her Piko Piko Hammer from hammerspace, closed her eyes tightly and screamed, "Get away from me!"

She swung her hammer with all the force she could muster. Shadow was quick, though. He would have been able to dodge her attack – so it was a surprise to her when she felt her hammer connect with something. She heard a THWUMP and she sharply opened her eyes to see Shadow strewn across the floor, face down.

Immediately, panic gripped her and her anger and confusion and frustration evaporated within an instant. Her hammer disappeared and she yelled out, "Shadow!" She ran towards him and fell to her knees, turning him over. "Shadow! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to actually hit –"

From the floor, Shadow poked out his tongue at her, lifting up the pillow he'd picked up from her single recliner chair and used as an impact softener. "Shoot me now – you actually do care."

Amy's look was fit for murder. "You – You… You're UNBELIEVABLE!"

"No, actually, _I'm not_." He sat up and grabbed Amy's cheek before she could pull away from him. The playfulness was gone from his expression and he asked seriously, "I love you, Rose. Why can't you believe that?"

Amy slapped his hand away – it was now obvious to her that she had to outright shout the reasons into his face; otherwise, he would never get it. "We're too different!" she declared defiantly, not wavering her gaze from his. She began to list things off with her fingers. "Because of that, you _can't_ like me! I'm too childish! And I'm too naïve! I laugh at the simplest things and I smile for absolutely no reason at all! I'm a romantic! I love soapy dramas and tear-inducing movies! I cry too much, I feel too much, I can be violent, aggressive and mean! I'm loud and I'm annoying! I'm headstrong and hardly ever think my actions through! I'm clingy and desperate and pathetic and needy – _who would ever want to love someone like me?_"

She stabbed him in the chest with a finger, not realizing that she was crying. "And you! You're _Shadow the Hedgehog_! You're apathetic and you're quiet! All you ever really say is 'hmph'! You're arrogant and too self-confident, and you don't care for sentimentality at all! You kill people and you're too serious! You never want to play any games, you don't laugh, you're just too dark! You're tragedy personified, because everything you've been through is just so _sad_! Because deep down, I know you have a kind and caring heart, but I know you can't show it. You can't open your heart to _anybody_ because I know you're scared of losing them – like you lost Maria! If I lost Sonic – if he _died_ – I know I wouldn't want to love again. _I wouldn't have any love inside me left, because he would've taken it all with him!_"

And she wailed, because inside her there was an explosion of pity - she felt sorry for him and for herself.

For the girl who loved but was unloved.

For the boy who lost and didn't want to find.

But despite this, there was a paradox, created on that night a couple of weeks ago:

_When suddenly the girl was loved._

_When suddenly the boy had found what he had lost._

And even though Amy wasn't aware of the existence of such a paradox, Shadow was.

Amy sobbed into her hands; Shadow gently yet firmly pried them away from her face. "Rose, look at me." But she wouldn't, because her heart was aching so bad. So Shadow reached out and grabbed her face in both his gloved hands, forcing her to face him. Yet even then, she kept her eyes squeezed shut. "Rose."

The pink hedgehog hiccupped.

"Amy."

Finally, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Listen to me, and listen to me well. I'm not going to repeat myself. It's true that you are childish and I'm not one for games." His previously hard gaze softened slightly. "But I love your innocence, Amy. You remind me of things that I have long forgotten and your smiles remind me again and again of why I didn't want to destroy this world. The happiness you find in the little things… it soothes me, Amy – it eases the nightmares in my mind. It makes me forget how tainted my hands really are; I crave your innocence, because in it, I forget that I'm a monster."

He stroked her cheek, wiping away her tears with a thumb. "You love romance and you can appreciate the sentimentality of things. To me, romance is too much effort, and I'd rather look at things as they are without concerning myself with messy things like emotions. But it's who you are, Amy. You love _life_. And your craving for such a thing is refreshing to someone as dead inside as me."

He kissed her cheek, tenderly nursing the bruises in her heart. "And you love too much, when I couldn't find myself to love at all. But you have such an abundance of it, Amy. You have such an abundance of love – surely you're the only one who can supply enough for _two_." He leaned forward and murmured against her lips, "Give your love to me, and I promise… that I shall return it tenfold."

He captured her lips hungrily, almost pleadingly, almost as desperate for this as Amy's own heart was - if not more.

_He was a walking tragedy._

And Amy began to understand why _she_ fell for _him_. It was because he needed her, because he wanted her, because he _loved_ her. Before, she had been scared, because she'd never had somebody look at her with such tender, sincere eyes. She'd run away because she knew all too well how _to _love – she'd never just been _loved_, and something so new, so alien, frightened her.

_And she was a walking source of life._

'But what about Sonic?' some inner part of her raged. 'You love Sonic, don't you? Then why are you giving your heart to someone else?'

Because loving Sonic wasn't enough. Because just loving someone didn't fill the hollowness of someone's heart.

She needed more. She needed someone like Shadow.

Shadow, who was like her in more ways that she could ever imagine. Shadow, who enjoyed slow dances and fancy restaurants. Shadow, who understood her completely from a single night, when Sonic couldn't in all the years he'd known her.

They broke the kiss and Amy immediately embraced him, crying tears into his chest. For once, she had nothing to say and Shadow was fine with that, because he knew her thoughts like they were his own.

After all, did she not wear her heart on her sleeve for all the world to see?

Then she looked up at him, smiling a smile that could rival the sun despite the tears that leaked down her eyes. "Shadow, I think I'm falling in love with you."

And unlike last time, these words were not forced. They echoed with a sincerity that warmed both their hearts.

Shadow stared down at her impassively. "Sorry, but I can't say the same." When her eyes widened, Shadow took advantage of her confusion and kissed her. After a breathless minute, he pulled back and smirked. "Because I know you already have."

Amy blinked and grinned lopsidedly. "Cocky ass." Then she leaned up and whispered into his ear, "Let's not forget… who said 'I love you' sincerely first, hmm? _So don't act all smug with me._"

And she laughed while he grimaced, narrowing his eyes at her teasing.

But it was okay, because even though she was smiling and he was frowning, they were perfect for each other anyway.

Her unbreakable fragility; his apathetic passion – their relationship a pleasant maelstrom.

Despite their differences and their opposites, they made perfect sense, so much so that their only choice was to love each other freely. That was the silent cry of their hearts, the patient demand of their souls.

Their broken completeness, their healed wounds –

Their tragic love comedy.

-x-

"Speaking of which," Shadow absently muttered, lips twitching. "Do you know why I let you drag me into that damnable movie theatre? Why I keep forcing myself to cooperate with you?"

Their roles were now reversed: this time, it was Amy who was frowning. She didn't like the look in his eyes. "No...? Tell me why."

Shadow smirked widely and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Because in return for doing something that _you_ want to do," he said huskily, nibbling her ear, "Now you have to do whatever _I_ want to do - even if you don't like it."

With his roaming hands, it was hard to miss the suggestion in his tone. Immediately, Amy's face became inflammed. "W-What!"

Shadow chuckled. "But don't worry - with what I have in mind, I'm sure you'll like it anyway."

Amy felt like she was about to explode. "SHADOW!"

Yes, definitely the perfect match - Shadow and Amy, the perfect oxymoron.

-x-

KazunaPikachu

-x-


End file.
